ON THE MAORI

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11251, 1 July 1922, Page 4

ON THE MAORI

, EXTRAORDINARY STORY YOUNG MAN PLACED UPON PROBATION. AN M.P.’S BAG. James Joseph Roche, alleged to bo the culprit in the cats© of the theft of a bag and contents from Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P., appeared before the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Sub-Inspector McNamara, in opening the case, stated that, on the morning of Juno 28th, Mr Sidey, together with the Hon. Mr Fleming, M.L.C., had been passengers by the ferry steamer Maori. They had occupied cabin “A,*’ ‘*B/’ deck. At about 1.30 a.m., tho chief steward saw the accused on his way from “B"’ to “C” deck, and then he had in his possession a handbag. The man had not seemed normal, and had threatened to jump over the side. At about 6 a.m., when it had been discovered that the bag was the property of Mr Sidey, the accused was nowhere to be found. Eventually he was discovered in a dark gpot called the “island,where few passengers went. Thomas K. Sidey, in evidence, testified to having placed the bag in his cabin when he retired. Contained in it were a couple of razors, pyjamas, brushes, etc. He valued it at £6 10s. Chief-Steward Sydney Smith had seen the accused running down tho companion-way between “B M and “C” decks at about 1.30 a.m. The man would not give him name, and threatened to commit suicide, saying that be “would jump over the eide/’ Witness considered that he had been under the influence of liquor, and had not thought, then, that the man had committed theft. Later, he found Mr Sidey’s name on the bag. The man and the bag had been left in charge of the watchman.

Evidence was given by Thomas Hall, a steward: a seaman who had found Roche in the “island,” where he had been “sitting and smoking”; and by J. Gell, the watchman, who considered that accused had been “stupid. ,f Air H. F. O’Leary, counsel for the accused, said that the case, though on the face of it it looked like an ordinary theft, was a somewhat strange one. Roche, twenty-two years of age, was a resident of Wanganui. He had been there for eighteen month?, and was employed as an acting-fireman in the running department of the New Zealand railways. He had gone to Christchurch to see his fiancee, who was undergoing a serious operation, and had not been in the best of spirits when he had arrived on the boat. Feeling ill, he had left h* stuffy cabin, had had a good deal of drink at the bar. and wakened in the eajly hours to find himself lying on the deck, with Mr Sidey e bag acting the part of pillow. He remembered nothing of the happenings of the night, and coaid not say where it had com© from. Knowing it to belong to someone else, he had become obsessed by one idea—to rid himself of it, and it was at that moment that he was detected by the chief steward. Counsel called as witness Mr W. A. Yeitch, M.P., who tea. tified to Roche’s excellent character. Defendant went into the box, and gave evidence along the lines of counsel’s statement.

“An extraordinary tale he tell 3 me,** said the ’magistrate; “one which X don’t hear every dav. I’ll give him credit for what he’s told me. X propose to prohibit him. and to place him upon probation for twelve months. Ho must pay the costs of the prosecution. It s only the that he has a good character behind him stopped mo from sending him up to gaol.”